Why Didn’t Black Panther Feature Soul Stone Ahead Of Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War?

Photo Credit: Marvel/Disney

While fans are enjoying “Black Panther” and making it another Marvel film hit, many were left wondering why there was no reference to the last Infinity Stone as that film is getting closer. “Avengers: Infinity War” will launch a two-film saga which serves as a conclusion of sorts to ten years of Marvel films and at least five years of teasing of the six Infinity Stones storyline.

That Avengers film will focus on Thanos and his quest for the six Infinity Stones. So far, five of those stones have been featured in earlier films (“Avengers,” “Thor: The Dark World,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron” and “Doctor Strange” respectively). So, it seemed logical that Marvel fans would see or learn more about the last stone in “Black Panther.”

When the sixth did not appear or get a mention in “Thor: Ragnarok,” it was assumed “Black Panther” would incorporate that element into its storyline. However, it does not, as the movie served as a standalone film aside from callbacks to events in “Captain America: Civil War”. Director Ryan Coogler spoke to IGN about whether there ever were plans to include the final Infinity Stone in his movie:

“I love the Infinity Stones as much as any comic book fan, it’s just Wakanda already has its thing, which is Vibranium. For us, that was special enough, so to throw in something, like another special thing, didn’t feel right. It felt like we should stick with our one MacGuffin for the country and explore that, let that be the important thing because, frankly we didn’t need to have another piece like that. The studio was never really interested in putting a stone in there, either.”

There were several theories floating around that the Soul Stone could appear in Black Panther. Some guessed the orange sand in Wakanda’s palace was the form that the Stone was taking. Elsewhere, others guessed that the vibranium meteor that his Wakanda contained the Soul Stone, which would explain that massive showdown seen in the Infinity War trailer.

Here are some reactions on social media to Black Panther and Soul Stone.

Marvel’s “Black Panther” follows T’Challa who, after the death of his father, the King of Wakanda, returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation to succeed to the throne and take his rightful place as king. But when a powerful old enemy reappears, T’Challa’s mettle as king is tested when he is drawn into a formidable conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people and their way of life.

“Black Panther” stars Boseman in the title role along with Danai Gurira, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, with Angela Bassett, with Forest Whitaker and, returning from Avengers: Age of Ultron, Andy Serkis.

What did you think of “Black Panther” not showing or discussing the final Infinity Stone? Or, did you prefer Black Panther to be a standalone film focused on the Marvel character? What did you think of Black Panther compared to other Marvel films? Let us know in the comments section.